The present invention relates to an apparatus for processing light-sensitive materials which processes an exposed silver halide photographic light-sensitive material having therein a hydrophilic colloidal layer.
A silver halide photographic light-sensitive material having therein a hydrophilic colloidal layer is processed by an automatic processor wherein, for example, a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material is dipped, for processing, in a developing solution in an sufficient amount contained in a developing tank for a predetermined period of time, while the silver halide photographic light-sensitive material is conveyed through a roller type conveyance mechanism.
Due to the processing of silver halide photographic light-sensitive materials, the effective components in the developer contained in a developer tank are consumed, resulting in deterioration of the developer caused by fatigue thereof. Further, the developer is deteriorated when the developer absorbs carbon dioxide in air in the course of time for neutralizing reaction and thus the alkalinity is reduced as in the case of alkaline developer, or the developer is deteriorated by fatigue with the passage of time caused by oxidization created by oxygen.
As a method for recovering fatigue of the developer, Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection Nos. 144502/1975, 62004/1979, 115039/1980 and 12645/1981 (hereinafter referred to as Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication) disclose means of recovering fatigue of the developer by replenishing developer replenisher continuously or intermittently depending upon the amount of processing.
In the aforesaid means, however, the components in the developer at the initial stage are different from those of the developers used thereafter, resulting in photographic processing in which the characteristic of each processing based on each replenishing of the developer differs each time in the strict sense of the word, and thus the finished photographic quality is unstable.
Consequently, there may be considered a method wherein an exposed side of a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material is supplied with the developer for processing instead of that the silver halide photographic light-sensitive material is dipped in the developer contained in a developer tank. In this case, however, it is necessary to convey the silver halide photographic material and to supply a small amount of developer uniformly.
When processing by supplying a small amount of developer, however, supply of the developer tends to be uneven, causing streaks and uneven processing, thus resulting in the problems that photometric characteristics such as predetermined sensitivity and gradient are not obtained.